Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces
The assessment of electron transport layer (ETL) for rear-contact engineering of silicon (Si) based optoelectronics has been considered as one of the critical challenges that leverage the performance improvement and device reliability. In this work, the hybrid design of ETL, obtained from the soluti...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Applied Surface Science Advances |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666523924000941 |
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| author | Sasimontra Timjan Ta-Cheng Wei Kuan-Han Lin Yi-Ting Li Po-Hsuan Hsiao Chia-Yun Chen |
| author_facet | Sasimontra Timjan Ta-Cheng Wei Kuan-Han Lin Yi-Ting Li Po-Hsuan Hsiao Chia-Yun Chen |
| author_sort | Sasimontra Timjan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The assessment of electron transport layer (ETL) for rear-contact engineering of silicon (Si) based optoelectronics has been considered as one of the critical challenges that leverage the performance improvement and device reliability. In this work, the hybrid design of ETL, obtained from the solution-processed nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) incorporated with organic polyethylenimine (PEI) demonstrates the feasible contact characteristics for the modification of Si/Al contacts, which greatly facilitates the transport and collection of photoexcited electrons in the Si-based optoelectronics. The aspects of microstructures, functional groups, chemical features, interfacial characteristics and band structures of NCQD/PEI are explicated, visualizing that the evolution of interface dipoles mediated by the overall outcome of physisorption and chemisorption effects, modifies the surface potential difference and results in the explicit reduction of the Al work function from 4.3 eV for pristine Al to 3.23 eV based on the optimized constitutional design (0.10 % NCQD in PEI). These findings are practically employed on the Si-based hybrid solar cells at Si/Al interfaces, fulfilling the conversion-efficiency improvement by 30.9 % compared with reference cells without ETL employment, which are experimentally interpreted by the efficient electron transport across the Si/Al heterojunction and charge collection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa08a12a220d4e92b98993b06798d78d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5239 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Surface Science Advances |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa08a12a220d4e92b98993b06798d78d2025-01-29T05:02:04ZengElsevierApplied Surface Science Advances2666-52392025-01-0125100666Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfacesSasimontra Timjan0Ta-Cheng Wei1Kuan-Han Lin2Yi-Ting Li3Po-Hsuan Hsiao4Chia-Yun Chen5Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Hierarchical Green-Energy Materials (Hi-GEM) Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, No.1 University Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Program on Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing, Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Corresponding author.The assessment of electron transport layer (ETL) for rear-contact engineering of silicon (Si) based optoelectronics has been considered as one of the critical challenges that leverage the performance improvement and device reliability. In this work, the hybrid design of ETL, obtained from the solution-processed nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) incorporated with organic polyethylenimine (PEI) demonstrates the feasible contact characteristics for the modification of Si/Al contacts, which greatly facilitates the transport and collection of photoexcited electrons in the Si-based optoelectronics. The aspects of microstructures, functional groups, chemical features, interfacial characteristics and band structures of NCQD/PEI are explicated, visualizing that the evolution of interface dipoles mediated by the overall outcome of physisorption and chemisorption effects, modifies the surface potential difference and results in the explicit reduction of the Al work function from 4.3 eV for pristine Al to 3.23 eV based on the optimized constitutional design (0.10 % NCQD in PEI). These findings are practically employed on the Si-based hybrid solar cells at Si/Al interfaces, fulfilling the conversion-efficiency improvement by 30.9 % compared with reference cells without ETL employment, which are experimentally interpreted by the efficient electron transport across the Si/Al heterojunction and charge collection.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666523924000941Interfacesquantum dotselectron transport layermetal/semiconductor contactsolar cells |
| spellingShingle | Sasimontra Timjan Ta-Cheng Wei Kuan-Han Lin Yi-Ting Li Po-Hsuan Hsiao Chia-Yun Chen Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces Applied Surface Science Advances Interfaces quantum dots electron transport layer metal/semiconductor contact solar cells |
| title | Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces |
| title_full | Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces |
| title_fullStr | Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces |
| title_short | Interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at Al/Si interfaces |
| title_sort | interface dipole evolution from the hybrid coupling between nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots and polyethylenimine featuring the electron transport thin layer at al si interfaces |
| topic | Interfaces quantum dots electron transport layer metal/semiconductor contact solar cells |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666523924000941 |
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